Cubas brings together the landscape of the Ribera de Cubas, routes along the Júcar and devotion to the patron saint of Jorquera. This gives you two distinct focuses when planning your trip: the river and natural landscape along the routes, and the religious traditions surrounding the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Cubas. Route details and procession dates offer practical ways to plan your days around your interests.

Routes and waterscapes

The settlement of Ribera de Cubas lies nestled in the Júcar Gorge. Some irrigation channels of Arab origin are still in use today; they once irrigated the gardens along the riverbank. The channels therefore tell the story of an earlier purpose as well as their continued use.

The 10-kilometre Cubas–Jorquera route starts at the Ermita de Cubas, crosses the Júcar over a bridge and follows an irrigation channel. Along the riverbank, it passes through the shade of poplars, walnut trees and fig trees. A second route, Maldonado–Cubas, runs from the Maldonado Bridge via Cañahorro to the Cubas Bridge. The Cañahorro section passes through areas of dense vegetation. The routes differ in their specific features: Cubas–Jorquera is characterised by the riverbank, the channel and its tree species, while Maldonado–Cubas is defined by the sequence of named bridges and the dense vegetation at Cañahorro. Water thus shapes your stay in two ways: as a feature of the routes and as part of the irrigation history of the Ribera.

The hermitage and religious traditions

The Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Cubas stands below an impressive limestone cliff in a lush natural setting. It can be reached via a winding road along the Júcar. The image of the patron saint of Jorquera is venerated in the hermitage. Landscape, location and religious significance come together here in one place.

Two religious traditions mark different dates. On 22 May, following a short Mass at dawn, the Virgen de Cubas is accompanied in a procession to her hermitage in Cubas. This procession takes place every year. On the penultimate Sunday in April, the Virgen is transferred from her hermitage in Cubas to Jorquera. The precise ceremonial details may vary. The difference between the dates is important for planning your trip: the May event falls on a fixed date, while the April event takes place on the penultimate Sunday of the month.

When planning your trip, two practical questions arise: would you like to focus on the routes and their landscapes, or should the processions determine when you visit? The first choice is guided by the routes, the second by the dates in April and May.

Discover more destinations: Jorquera, Piedrabuena, Bolaños De Calatrava.

For the broader travel overview: Castile-La Mancha.